C18th makeups: Barry Lyndon

Young Irish rogue Redmond Barry lies, dupes, duels and seduces his way up the social ladder and enters into a lustful but loveless marriage to a wealthy countess named Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson). He takes the name of Barry Lyndon and settles in England with wealth and power beyond his wildest dreams: then slowly falls dramatically into ruin.

Despite the movie’s visual splendour and wit, it remains uninvolving – possibly because of the repressed nature of Lady Lyndon’s character. But this seems to be a directorial decision rather that Marisa Berenson’s lack of acting ability: for once her lack of facial expression and limited emotional palette (as well as her fragile beauty) seem to be precisely the reasons she was cast in the role.